Snyder, business leaders call for change in
Elliott-Larsen act to include LGBT protection

MACKINAC ISLAND — Gov. Rick Snyder said Thursday he would like to see lawmakers amend the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity before the end of the year.

“I don’t believe in discrimination,” Snyder said in an interview with Crain’s. “I hope that’s something the Legislature will take up sometime this year.”

But Snyder stopped short of saying whether he would sign the bill, as he rarely signals his intentions on what he will do with legislation until it reaches his desk.

This morning, at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, Rick Baker, President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, and Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit chamber came out in support of changing the law as well.

Snyder said he appreciated the chambers coming forward and taking a position on the issue. If the law is changed, it would be illegal for an employee to be fired or not hired solely because he or she is gay.

“Michigan’s business community is sending a very clear message about the importance of workforce diversity to our state’s future,” Baruah said in a statement. “We are in a global war for talent, and need the best and brightest workforce to compete in the 21st century economy, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. We are committed to a Michigan where all are free and welcome to contribute to our economic comeback.”

Business Leaders for Michigan also called for the law to be changed and included it in the group's updated Michigan Turnaround Plan, released in April.

“It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. This is about Michigan’s competitiveness and our ability to attract and retain talent. We hear from our members in West Michigan on a regular basis that while infrastructure and tax policy impact the work they are doing, finding highly skilled, creative and talented people to fill jobs is a growing challenge,” Baker said. “Updating Elliott-Larsen won’t solve this problem on its own, but it sends a message to workers both inside and outside of Michigan that if they are qualified for a job, they will be treated fairly and judged on their merits.”

The two chambers also announced they were joining the Michigan Competitive Workforce Coalition, which is advocating for a change in the state’s civil rights law.

“The coalition is growing,” Jim Murray, president of AT&T and co-chair of the coalition said in a statement. “The leadership shown by both the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce on behalf of their thousands of members and their communities is essential as we work with lawmakers to make this needed reform. The more voices the better, and we are still taking volunteers.”